Scrapbooking for my Children

By:Mary V.

I have always enjoyed taking pictures. Beginning in my college years, during the early 1980's, I began keeping a scrapbook filled with pictures of my sorority sisters. I then continued with a wedding scrapbook and then, when my first son was born, a scrapbook for him. However, these scrapbooks are filled with regular scotch tape and acidic papers.
Just last year I happened upon a magazine in a local store called "Memory Makers". On a whim, I decided to buy this magazine. From that moment on, I was hooked on "Creative Scrapbooking". Here was the opportunity to continue on with my love of scrapbooking but with a little bit more flair, creativity and with the knowledge the pages would last for a long, long time. I found the nearest scrapbook store and when I entered, I was in scrapbook heaven! So many wonderful things to buy.
I take many, many pictures. The typical celebrations, such as birthdays, holidays and summer vacations, are forever documented with my pictures. Now, however, since reading months of scrapbooking magazines, I make sure to take pictures of the not-so-celebrated occasions of my children: bath time, playing in the sprinkler and at the beach, snuggling on the couch in their pajamas or sitting at the computer. These moments perhaps tell even more of a story of what our lives are like.
When I look back at the pictures my parents took of me when I was young, I find just ONE baby picture. From there, I find a few scattered pictures of myself growing up. The majority of those are the annual school pictures taken in the elementary school cafetaria! I wish I had more pictures to remember my childhood. Pictures that would show me the room I slept in, the toys I played with and my neighborhood friends. Pictures that would remind me of those road trips to Tilton, NH to visit with our cousins who owned the ice-cream stand, or pictures of our very first trip to DisneyWorld in 1972, when I flew on an airplane for the first time. Even the times that my parents did take pictures, they are scarce. From our trip to Florida, I find 10 pictures at most. From our trip to Virginia, three.
I like to look at the old pictures of my ancestor's, too. The black & white photographs in which every one has such a serious face. I have no idea who these people are, what year the photograph was taken, or where. I promise myself that I shall sit down with my parents and write down everything they know about these people, who disappeared from our lives long ago.
I have also promised that I shall leave my two boys with more pictures and documented memories so they can easily remember their childhood's. When they get older and have the desire to look back upon the 1990's, their memories will be all neatly stored in my Memory Books. They will have pictures of Christmas's past showing the toys that Santa left them and the school clothes they wore every day. They will see themselves and all their cousins hanging out in the airport waiting to fly to Disney World, and see themselves with their grandparents sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the 4th of July parade.
Not only will my children have these precious memories, but also my grand-children and hopefully my great-grandchildren. I think how, many years from now, when I am no longer here to point out all the pictures I took, one of my decendants will read my Memory Books and see what a typical life was like at the turn of the century. See the type of clothing we wore, what activities we did for fun, and what our school and work days were like. Because I know how precious a book like that would be to me! Unfortunately, I don't have any such momento's from my ancestors but I can leave one for future generations.

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: Why scrapbooking is important to me, by Melissa Trice, Texarkana, TX